The Baker's Daughter
by JudasISevil
Summary: Bernice was known for being a trouble making girl one day she runs into the Macken brother's knowing they are orphans she tries to help them out. But she never imagined her whole life would change upon meeting them.
1. Chapter 1: Mercy

Chapter 1: Mercy

A nine year old girl ran along the river's bank the fastest she could. Her older brother was not too far behind her and she knew she had to get home or else he would beat her. It wasn't like she couldn't fight back or anything. They always fought and she sometimes won but he was with his friends. She knew they would jump in since she just threw water at them for not letting her play. Just because she was a girl and she had to stay home with her mother or play with the other girls in her village.

'If only I was strong enough to take on all of them!' She thought angrily. 'Then that'll teach them to judge me just because I'm a girl!' She was too busy thinking about that she didn't see the small boy in front of her until she tripped over him they both fell on the ground. She got up quickly and saw she had bumped into one of the Macken boys. She looked back seeing her brother not too far behind. She got up about to leave him behind but she couldn't leave the boy here. He was the younger one and she knew her brother and his friends liked to pick on him and his older brother.

"Come on," she said picking up the small boy and running into the forest with him. She hid behind a tree and covered the boy's mouth. He looked at her in shock as she tilted her head to the right to see around the tree.

"BERNICE!" her brother James shouted. She could see her brother stomp his foot in frustration knowing his sister had gotten away. She heard the boys curse, she snickered.

"You need to control that sister of yours!" one of them shouted.

"Yeah, teach her a lesson!" Another one yelled.

"I will, I will, once I get back home." Her brother said she closed her eyes.

"Like hell he will," she whispered at least now she knew to keep her guard up. She looked back at the Macken boy and put a finger to her lips. "Shh, I'm going to take my hand away but you can't make a sound or they'll find us." She whispered the lowest she could. He nodded; she took her hand off his mouth.

"Hey, look who it is!" James said in a snarky voice Bernice knew too well. Bernice froze, had he found her? She looked around the tree trunk to see her brother talking to a blond headed boy she knew as Jim Macken.

"Where's Luca. What did you do to him!" Jim said angrily his hands balled up into fists.

"Brother..." Luca whispered beside Bernice.

"Like we give a damn about your stupid brother." James spat, his friends laughed.

"Don't bad mouth my brother!" Jim said punching him, James fell on his bottom. For a moment his friends looked at James in shock before snapping out of it and pouncing on Jim.

"Jim!" Luca shouted about to run towards them.

"No you'll get beat to a bloody pulp." Bernice said grabbing the smaller boy around the waist preventing him from moving forward.

"B-but Jim's getting hurt!" He said about to start sobbing.

"Fuck," Bernice muttered closing her eyes in frustration before opening them again. "I'll go. You stay here and _don't_ move!" Bernice said in a stern voice. She ran towards the boys and started punching the ones in her way. She kneed a few in the gut so they would stay down long enough for her to haul James off Jim. James felt two arms wrap around his waist, he looked back to see it was his sister. He got out of her grip and punched her square in the jaw causing her to stumble back a bit.

"Found yea!" James said in triumph. He had forgotten about Jim now that his sister was here. And she was going to pay for what she had done earlier. The four boys made a circle around her trapping her inside. Bernice looked at them trying to find the weakest looking boy she could push out of the way. James noticed what she was trying to do he pulled his fist back but Jim tackled him.

"Where's my brother!" He shouted as he punched James in the face.

"Jim! Jim!" Bernice heard Luca shout. 'Damn I told him to stay put' she thought before someone kicked her in the stomach knocking the wind out of her. She fell on the ground gasping for air James pushed Jim off him and ran to his sister.

"What did you do! Did you break one of her ribs!?" James shouted at his friend.

"Bastard." Bernice muttered, she looked up. "Screw all of you." She said getting up wobbling a bit. "Don't get all sentimental now James." She smirked. "Because I'm going to fuckin' kick your arse!" She shouted jumping on him.

Ten minutes later Bernice, Jim, and his younger brother lay on the ground bruised and aching.

"See you at home sis~!" James laughed walking away with his friends.

"I won't ever hear the end of this…" Bernice muttered knowing her brother would brag about this behind their parents back. She got up wincing a bit from the places they had punched and kicked her. She looked over at the Macken brother's to see Jim inspecting some of Lucas bruises.

"I'm sorry I got you two involved in this," Bernice said dusting herself off. She walked closer to the river and saw her reflection there were no bruises on her face. James had ordered them not to make the bruises visible but her face was dirty. She splashed water on her face knowing if she got home looking like she was in a brawl her mother might make her sleep with the pigs. 'If you are going to look like one might as well live with them.' Her mother's words echoed in her mind.

"Jim I lost the food…it floated down the river when I tripped, I'm sorry." Bernice heard the younger boy say her eyes widened.

"It's alright we'll find more food…" Jim said. Bernice turned around to face the Macken brother's.

"Did I-was it my fault you lost your food?" She asked the younger boy. Luca looked at her and slowly nodded.

"Damn, sorry this is all my fault I...I'll make it up to you…uh, Luca was it?" She asked the younger brother he nodded.

"Luca I'll get you something to eat since I made you drop your food." Bernice smiled, Luca smiled back at her.

"Are you mocking us?" Jim said not believing someone who was related to James could offer them food.

"Mocking? Why the hell would I mock you?" Bernice said a little angry that he would get defensive after she just helped him fight her brother and his friends. But then again it was all her fault he needed saving in the first place, she put her hands on her hips. "I'm the reason you might not get to eat tonight." She said knowing a little about the Mackne brothers. She knew they were orphans who lived in a vacant house outside the village and they were barely scraping by.

"Look my father's the village baker I can steal some bread for you guys," Bernice said waving her hand around like it was nothing. Jim glared at her she was the daughter of the baker who had thrown a stone at Luca. He just couldn't trust her, not any of them.

"Bread.." Luca whispered.

"It'll be tricky but I think I can, I'll come by later maybe at dusk to give you the bread…um where do you guys live?" She asked them. Jim didn't want her to know but before he could protest Luca showed her the way.

"Alright see you tonight!" Bernice said running off back to the village. Luca waved at her but Jim just stood next to his brother with a grim look.

Bernice ran until she reached the front door of the bakery. The first thing she saw when she entered the bakery was her mother's scowl.

"Where have you been young lady?" She said crossing her arms over her chest.

"I was um out with some of the girls from the village." Bernice lied.

"Then where did you get that bruise?" She asked her daughter.

"W-what bruise?" Bernice stuttered.

"The one on your jaw." Her mother said narrowing her eyes. 'Crap. I forgot James punched me there!' She thought. "I fell," Bernice quickly lied her mother sighed.

"Whatever I need you to bake the last batch of the bread." She said. 'Yes!' Bernice thought knowing she could get the bread now. But it was going to be tough trying to sneak two loafs of bread away especially when her mum was next to her. She saw that it started getting darker and darker and she still hadn't been able to get two loaves of bread. She was beginning to worry what if they starved because of her?

"Bernice the bread!" Her mother yelled pushing her away from the oven. She took them out and Bernice saw that half of the four loaves where completely burnt the other two were only burned slightly.

"Great we can't sell these! No decent person would buy them!" her mother shouted. She turned to Bernice and slapped her. "You just go and feed these to the pigs." She said shoving the bread in her hands. "And while you're at it you might as well stay out there with them." She said turning away from her daughter. Bernice ran out the backdoor before she could say anything else. She had gotten the bread! She threw the worst of the four loaves of bread at the pigs but the ones that only were slightly burned she wrapped around her apron. She looked around the fastest way to get to the Macken's house was to go through the village. But what if someone saw her carrying the bread and told her mother about it? Instead she took the long way around the village to the Macken's house.

Half way to their house she started hearing screams behind her. 'Those villagers sure know how to party' she thought. 'Hmm maybe I can stay at one those parties until mum decides to let me back into the house.' She smiled today was a bad day to kick her out of the house!

'They live pretty far from the village...'she thought looking around; the forest looked kind of scary at night. Finally she saw them near the river Luca was bowing down to Jim. 'Wonder what they're playin' she thought approaching the brothers.

"See Luca, I told you she wouldn't come." Jim said.

"Don't doubt me just yet." Bernice said walking up behind Jim. He jumped not expecting someone to be behind him. Luca laughed, Jim looked away annoyed.

"Here I brought you some bread, it's slightly burned but not too much you could just cut that off." Bernice said handing it to Luca. He looked at the bread with wide eyes and looked back up at her.

"Thank you!" He said happily, he noticed a red mark on her cheek. "What happened to you?" He asked her.

"Huh?" Bernice said confused.

"Right here," Luca pointed at his own cheek. "You didn't have that before."

"Oh that," Bernice said touching her face. "It was just my mum, she slapped me."

"Why?" Luca asked.

"Because I burned the bread." Luca looked at her horrified.

"Don't worry," She said ruffling up his hair. "Her slaps don't really compare to a kick in the face from James, it doesn't really hurt." She smiled. "Well I have to get back I think there's some kind of party going on at the village."

"You were invited?" Jim said talking for the first time since she got there.

"Ha, ha, no my mom kicked me out for a while. I'm supposed to sleep with the pigs…again. Maybe if dad is in a good mood tonight he'll open the door and let me in."

"So he always hits you," Jim said.

"James? Well I usually start the fights we get into anyway, like today. I haven't had my arse kicked that bad before though." Bernice smiled. "But you know Jim you're a pretty good fighter." She said giving him a thumbs up.

"Hey you can stay here with us if you'd like!" Luca said jumping in between them. Bernice blinked twice.

"Really?" She said looking at Luca then at Jim but he was looking at the river. Bernice and Luca fallowed his gaze and saw a floating body pass by.

"Wha-what the hell…" Bernice stuttered feeling something bad in her gut. She looked over at the village to see some of it in flames. Her eyes widened and she began to run as fast as she could to the village. She stumbled to a halt when she saw dead bodies lying on the ground people she knew, people she talked to. In every direction she turned she found nothing but dead people.

"They went and died." She heard Jim say. "The man with the bad lungs, the baker who threw stones at you." Bernice turned around to see Jim with a grin on his face. 'It can't be true no dad he's not dead…'. She turned back and saw her worst fear come to life her father was on the ground with his eyes wide open.

"Nooo!" She yelled running to him. She dropped to his side and shook him. "Dad! Dad! Wake up! Wake up!" She shouted shaking him brutally. "I'll-I'll kick you!" She threatened. But her father didn't move an inch and that confirmed what she already knew.

He was dead. Like the rest of the villagers. She got up and backed away from him, tears forming on the edges of her eyes threating to spill over. She bumped into Jim who was jumping around in joy.

"They're all dead~!" He laughed. Bernice couldn't believe what she was seeing how could he be happy about so many deaths? She turned back to her father's lifeless body. If he was dead then who else in her family was still alive she had to find out.

"James…" She muttered walking away from the Macken brothers.

"James?" Jim said.

"I need to find him." Bernice said tears now rolling down her cheeks. Jim grabbed her wrist she turned around to face him.

"Why? After the way he treated you!" He let go of her. "He's dead, he's better off dead, ha, ha, ha, ha."

"Stop it! I don't care how he treats me! He's my family and I will always _love_ my family no matter what happens!" Bernice yelled she looked at Jim's shocked face her gaze turned to Luca. He was jumping around in triumph unaware of them both. Bernice turned away from Jim and ran to her house almost tripping from the shock of seeing so many people she knew dead. Before she could even get to her house she saw James lying on the ground face down and next to him was her mother. Her mother's cold eyes stared at nothing just like her fathers. She slowly walked over to them, Bernice's knees gave out and she landed face first on the ground in between her brother and mother. She didn't have the strength to get up now that she knew her whole family was dead.

'It can't be possible, I-I just left for a while…How can everyone be dead…'she thought. She reached out to grab them both and pull them closer to her. Her tears mixed with the dirt on the ground. She heard light footsteps approaching her she looked up to see a woman with silver hair.

"Filthy human," she spoke looking down at Bernice's face covered in dirt and her brother's blood. Bernice could feel the waves of killing intent coming off of her.

"L-leave me alone!" Bernice shouted grabbing her mother and brother's hand trying to drag their bodies away from the dangerous woman. Their bodies where too heavy for her their lifeless hands slipped from hers and she fell back. The women walked towards her but Bernice didn't move back. She looked down 'I guess this is it…' she thought 'it's okay I rather be with my family' tears fell from her eyes.

"Not her," Bernice heard someone say. She looked up to see Luca walking away with the silver haired woman.


	2. Chapter 2: Bitter Reality

Chapter 2: Bitter Reality

Her eyelids flew open the next morning. For a split second she forgot about everything but when she saw her mother's lifeless eyes everything came rushing back.

"It's a nightmare it has to be…wake up, wake up!" She shouted hitting herself. "I don't want this to be true…" she looked over at James and waited for him to jump up and scare her. She wanted him to say this was all a big prank but the minutes passed and he remained still. Her eyes began to water up again and she got up and ran away from their lifeless bodies. She didn't know where she would go but she wanted to be as far away from this village as possible. Her hands covered her eyes wanting to block everything out. Her foot hit something and she fell over someone. Bernice didn't move from the spot she landed on, she was afraid to open her eyes and see she was lying on a dead body. But this one was different it wasn't cold it was warm. She opened her eyes and met blue sparkling eyes.

"Jim…" she whispered, he blinked twice before moving out from under her. She saw him holding Luca. She noticed Luca's eyes were wide open like her mother's…

"H-he's sleeping right?" She stuttered ignoring the fact that his eyes were open. Jim shook his head slowly and gripped his brother tighter. Bernice felt a pang of guilt wash over her Luca had left with that woman. Now he was dead her hands shook she was such a coward she was too afraid to go after them. All she did was fall asleep after seeing Luca leave with the strange woman she looked at Jim. He was probably the only living person besides herself. She waited for Jim to say something or do something but he didn't move an inch from his spot. The sky turned grayer and grayer, Bernice couldn't take it anymore she got up and left. Seeing Jim like that made her realize that this wasn't a bad dream. Her family was dead and the only thing left to do was to at least bury them. So she headed back home grabbed the shovel, picked out the spot to bury them and one by one dragged their bodies there. James was the easiest but seeing his face with no grin made her shed a few tears. It took her longer to drag her mother but once she got her there she decorated her with flowers. Her father was last and took her nearly an hour to drag there since he was at the front of the village. Like she did with her mother she closed his eyes and began digging the holes.

Bernice looked down at the three lumps on the ground she had gotten three tiny crosses from a nearby store and carved in her families names. It had all taken her most of the morning it was already noon. She hadn't seen Jim at all since the morning even when she went to get her father. She decided she wouldn't shed another tear besides what good would any of that do? It wouldn't bring her family back from the dead. She turned away from their graves and went to look for Jim. She found him in the same place in the same position still clenching his younger brother Luca.

"Jim…" Bernice said but he didn't answer. "…we need to bury him." Jim slowly turned to look at her.

"I can't," he said tears falling from his eyes.

"Then I will." Bernice said walking over to him she touched Luca's cold arm but Jim backed away from her.

"Don't touch him!" He shouted. "I…I'll bury him on my own." Jim said getting up. Half an hour later Jim stood alone looking at the small lump on the ground it had a tiny cross on top. It seemed more depressing to Bernice Luca was the only family he had. Her eyes widened when she felt water hit her forehead. She looked up to see the sky grayer than ever, raindrops began to fall around them. She looked back at Jim who didn't seem to notice the rain.

"Jim…" she started. "Jim we should get out of this rain," Bernice said reaching for him she slightly tugged at his sleeve but he jerked his hand away.

"No! I don't want to leave him alone." He said dropping to his knees. "I don't want him to be alone…" he whispered Bernice couldn't take it anymore.

"He's not alive Jim!" she yelled. "He can't feel loneliness."

"Yes he can because he's alive!" He said turning to face her.

"Jim-" Bernice started.

"I-I'll dig him up and you'll see!" He said crawling to Luca's grave. Bernice grabbed him and held him back.

"Don't you get it Jim! We're the only ones left!" Bernice shouted as he trashed around he elbowed her in the jaw and knocked her back. She glared at him got up and started to walk away she heard something approaching her fast she turned around as Jim dropped to his knees.

"Don't leave me!" He shouted tears running down his cheeks. "Please don't ever leave me! I-I can't stand this emptiness! I don't want to be alone." He crawled to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Bernice's vision began to blur and tears rolled down her cheeks. Soon she was on the ground crying with him.

"I…I'll never leave you. I don't want to be alone either." Bernice broke down she clutched Jim's shirt afraid that he would disappear if she ever let go.

They spent the night in each other's terrified grips. He held on to her the whole night without moving she moved an inch and his arms wrapped tighter around it was almost suffocating. They spent four nights the same way they never left his house they had enough food to last them about a week and they tried not to think about the village.

"We have to leave," Bernice said on the fourth day. "I can't stand living here," she said looking at Jim.

"But where will we go?" Jim asked.

"To London we can buy a house." Bernice suggested.

"With what money?" Jim asked her.

"The villagers must have money saved up we can…we can take it." Bernice said feeling guilty.

"You mean we have to go back?" Jim said in a worried voice. Bernice sensed the fear in his voice and thought for a minute.

"I can go by myself-" she started but Jim interrupted her.

"No! You said you'd never leave me!" He shouted grabbing her wrist.

"Ouch Jim stop that hurts!" Bernice shouted trying to free her wrist but his grip tightened.

"You're gonna leave me if I let go," He whispered. Bernice was getting annoyed with him now who did he think she was? She looked up at him about to tell him off but once she saw his eyes she felt a chill run down her back. He didn't look stable something was terribly off about him why hadn't she noticed before.

"I-I'm not!" She tried to sound tough but there was fear in her words. Her wrist started to really ache. "I promise I'll never leave your side, Jim please." He closed his eyes his grip began to weaken.

"Let's go together." He whispered still holding her wrist. They walked back to the village in silence Bernice cursed herself for being afraid of him. 'I never feared James and he was way stronger than Jim!' she thought to herself. 'I need to get away from him…As soon as I find enough money I'll knock him out and run for it!'. They reached the village and saw the first of the corpses.

"Let's pick their pockets," Jim said finally letting her wrist go. Bernice tried to rub the pain away she could see her wrist already bruising.

She felt weird taking money from dead people not to mention they were beginning to stink. She hesitated at first but after going through five people she began to get used to it. She tried the hoses next Jim right behind her trail making sure she never got out of eyesight. She gasped seeing some familiar faces she bit her lip as she jumped over their bodies to get into their home. She stumbled and fell 'serves me right for stealing from dead people' she thought as she got up.

"Walking on them is much easier," she heard Jim say from behind her. She looked back to see him on top of the dead body she had tripped over. Anger flared up inside her how could he disrespect them like that?

"These people where my neighbors and friends please respect them," Bernice said.

"But they're dead they can't feel this anyway." Jim said kicking the corpse.

"Stop!" Bernice shouted pushing him outside the house he stumbled and fell.

"Why should I?!" Jim screamed angrily. "I'm just treating them the same way they treat me and Luca-" he stopped got up and walked away from her. She noticed he was walking off towards the direction where they had buried Luca. 'This is my chance!' Bernice thought she turned towards the opposite direction and began running she looked back to see if Jim was after her but saw no one.

"Goodbye Jim-" she bumped into someone she fell back some of the money fell out of her pocket. She looked up to see she had run into a large man with a shaved head she didn't recognize him.

"Well what do we have here?" The man said reaching for her she got up and tried to run but he grabbed her braid and pulled her back.

"Augh! What do you want!" She shouted.

"Where are your parents?" He asked she could faintly smell alcohol.

"My…parents…" she whispered. "They're here with me! My dad will beat you up if you don't let me go!" she lied.

"Yup everyone in this town is dead." Another man said walking towards them. The man pulling her hair smiled.

"All but one." He said turning Bernice around. "How much you think we'll get for her?"

"What?" Bernice said in disbelief they were going to sell her? Her dad had told her about men who sold children and she should be careful and stay home and learn how to be a perfect wife instead of running around with boys.

"I-I'd be worth nothing," Bernice tried to argue the man holding her braid stuck his fingers in her mouth he got closer. Bernice started trashing around trying to get loose.

"Pink gums, I'm sure you'll be worth somethin'" he laughed.

"Screw you I'm not an animal to be sold!" Bernice yelled angrily.

"Shut her up." The other man said walking away the man holding Bernice smiled and knocked her out.


End file.
